Big 3 Upgrade: Planning Stage (Input Encouraged)

[Slick]

Ok, so I watched my SGII today. In park, no load, it runs at 13.6 to 13.7 staying mostly in 13.7. In drive, holding break, it runs at 13.5 to 13.6, swapping between the two fairly fifty fifty. I applied my largest potential load, in Park, and it ran 13.3, dipping occasionally to 13.2 but only on really hard notes.

BTW, correction to my last post, between 65 & 70 the SGII shows almost a constant 14.0 volts. Occasionally dipping to 13.9 but only a few times. It also showed 14.1 a few times but not enough to be considered a constant charging voltage.

Hope this helps

[talnlnky]

this actually doesn't surprise me.... You now have a more stable voltage... though it is slightly lower (than the max voltage on the oem alt)... stable voltage is much better, you may feel bummed...due to the lower voltage... but you should be happy.... that alt will last much longer than the oem would've.

[The Architect]

well i just got my volt meter in, ill be installing it asap and monitoring voltage throughout all scenarios and reporting back in a day or so

[The Architect]

sigh...

well idk whats to be expected from a HO alt because Ive never owned one but here's how things are as of today after many observations, tests and metering.

If I put on a truly low deep and bass heavy song a crank it loud BUT still clear the voltage will plummit to 12.75-12.85 a.k. the battery

....that fkn sucks even if it is only for a split second I dont want to be tapping the battery.

I didnt think my little 1000rms amp would be able to make this "badass" alt surrender but i guess so.

I talked to iraggi and he thought maybe the belt was slipping for a second on the hits but i seriously doubt it...but he knows more so im going to pick up a brand new stock belt and swap it.

If that doesnt alleviate the problem (dont think it will) then idk what his solution will be.

Since the alt does seem to be performing better than stock maybe ill just have him give me a 180A stock casing alt instead and refund the difference.

I'll stay hopeful though.

Should a 300A alt at 80MPH be able to sustain consistent voltage during deep bass hits at high volumes?

I mean my amp has an 80amp internal fuse so that means it wont pull more than 80 or so amps...right? He says no and its pulling more than that for sure...


so idk, feel free to comment

[goku87]

Man that sucks. Here's the best way you can test it:

Take it to a local place that rebuilds alts. Some hole-in-the-wall place, because they usually test them for free. They have machines they stick them on and turn them and check the output. Some places can print out the test results and they look kinda like dyno sheets, except for alts.

That way you can be like, "Okay, listen here, this shit don't work as advertised."

Ex:

[goku87]

Originally Posted by talnlnky

doesn't fluke rebadge a lot of its meters for other companies tho???

like you wouldn't believe lol.

[The Architect]

from those graphs it seems some alts dont put out until wayyy up on the rpm line where its not even normal

[sqcomp]

Hmmm...

Very interesting.

Here's what I think I'll do. I'll buy a Powerbastards 220 Ampere unit. I'll get it with an overdrive pulley and we'll see what happens. We'll install it in the shop and do the tests there simply because we've got the equipment to test it as well as keep a charge if anything should happen.

We'll see if this company's claims of 1200 RPM full output to 220 amperes are even near to being close.

I'm bummed that this Iraggi alternator didn't work as advertised.

[goku87]

Yeah, this whole situation is a clusterfuck. Everyone claims they have the best HO alt, but none can deliver.

Has anyone considered doing a multi-alt setup? I know our engine bay is small, but I've seem some creative things before.

[sqcomp]

I'm seeing the same. Like Goku mentioned, if one of us put together a dual alternator setup, with one isolated for the use of the sound system...

[talnlnky]

Originally Posted by sqcomp

I'm seeing the same. Like Goku mentioned, if one of us put together a dual alternator setup, with one isolated for the use of the sound system...

if somebody had the means to fabricate custom brackets that would probably be the best & cheapest way as you can often go to junkyards and find alts for under $20... I remember a few years back in Spokane,WA there was a junkyard that would sell you alts for $8... tho you had to remove it yourself.

The yaris/echo has been out long enough to have a few cars in the junkyard by now. Tho... if I was going to do custom bracket... I'd be tempted to just pull one from a truck that had like a 100-140amp alt.

one drawback to dual alts would be more load on the engine than a single alt, thus lower mpg's... prolly less than 1mpg difference tho.


EDIT:
Architect
I'm starting to wonder if there is something weird with your car... you dropped cable a while back and then said your voltage was funny after that.... Did you have your battery tested.... maybe you have a bad cell in your battery that is causing a wierd issue.... constantly trying to charge thus sucking amperage, thus lowering voltage... i dunno... be worth checking out tho.

[The Architect]

Originally Posted by talnlnky

if somebody had the means to fabricate custom brackets that would probably be the best & cheapest way as you can often go to junkyards and find alts for under $20... I remember a few years back in Spokane,WA there was a junkyard that would sell you alts for $8... tho you had to remove it yourself.

The yaris/echo has been out long enough to have a few cars in the junkyard by now. Tho... if I was going to do custom bracket... I'd be tempted to just pull one from a truck that had like a 100-140amp alt.

one drawback to dual alts would be more load on the engine than a single alt, thus lower mpg's... prolly less than 1mpg difference tho.


EDIT: r
Architect
I'm starting to wonder if there is something weird with your car... you dropped cable a while back and then said your voltage was funny after that.... Did you have your battery tested.... maybe you have a bad cell in your battery that is causing a wierd issue.... constantly trying to charge thus sucking amperage, thus lowering voltage... i dunno... be worth checking out tho.

Yea when i did that I essentially grounded the stock alternator which mustve messed up some of the internals causing it to charge poorly.

My yellow top sits at 12.75 cold and the alt charges normally.

Ill just take my battery to autozone for a battery test but a hot test would be misleading so idk

[talnlnky]

Originally Posted by The Architect

Yea when i did that I essentially grounded the stock alternator which mustve messed up some of the internals causing it to charge poorly.

My yellow top sits at 12.75 cold and the alt charges normally.

Ill just take my battery to autozone for a battery test but a hot test would be misleading so idk

Hook it up with daul "Walmart specials" now... get two of the walmart everstart 1000CA bats.. they are like $70-80 a pop... run them in parallel... will have way more performance than any single car audio battery would have, and cost the same as a yellow top.

Had a buddy run three or four of those in his civic hatchback... think he fit them all in the spare tire well too. Maybe he had one up front.... long time ago... hard to remember for sure. He was running round 4kw's and a 0.7ohm load on 2ohm amps ... fun times.

[goku87]

Originally Posted by talnlnky

Hook it up with daul "Walmart specials" now... get two of the walmart everstart 1000CA bats.. they are like $70-80 a pop... run them in parallel... will have way more performance than any single car audio battery would have, and cost the same as a yellow top.

Had a buddy run three or four of those in his civic hatchback... think he fit them all in the spare tire well too. Maybe he had one up front.... long time ago... hard to remember for sure. He was running round 4kw's and a 0.7ohm load on 2ohm amps ... fun times.

Three words:

Sulfuric acid fumes.

Not so fun times.

[The Architect]

Originally Posted by goku87

Three words:

Sulfuric acid fumes.

Not so fun times.

idk whats going on with both yours and his statements haha, maybe its bc i read them when i was half unconscious

[talnlnky]

Originally Posted by goku87

Three words:

Sulfuric acid fumes.

Not so fun times.

Three words

Vented battery box


if it's really a problem you just have to seal the batteries in a box, and then make a vent that goes outside so the fumes don't get in the cabin of the car. I question how much of an issue that really is anyway.

If the box is too much work... could try and find the cheapest sealed/non-venting batteries you can get.... do the Exide orbitals release gas? they aren't that expensive are they.

[The Architect]

so im starting to think theres something to this whole "belt slippage" thing.

on the way home from work i was only going maybe 40MPH and the multi/clamp meter was reading about 14 volts.

I then turned on lil johns "push that n***a push that h*e" for those that might like that sorta thing and then ramped it up to 48 on my HU which is pretty damn loud and the voltage was falling to maybe 13.7-13.8 which is fine. For just a second though it fell to the 12's so im being the optimist.

I just ordered a new dayco serp belt that "exceeds oe spec" and ill be giving that a shot and tightening the living hell out of the thing when i put it on.

[talnlnky]

belt slippage is a real issue...i've seen it before... When a big bass hit happens, large voltage dip causes the alt to engage and try to make a lot of power.... which means it puts a large load on the belt... if the belt is loose, even the slightest bit it may slip.

Saw this in a durango with six 15's and a 2200rms amp. Every time he cranked it we'd hear a squeal for a few seconds.... finally took a look at the belt and it needed tightening.

your alt can do what.... 280, 300 amps... that alt is very capable of putting a big load on that belt. I would think the belt would have to be even tighter than stock to ensure the belt didn't slip.